Electric block-signal



(No Model.) 1 I G. H. SALLADA. ELECTRIC BLOCK SIGNAL-- 1 No. 531,651.Patented Jam 1, 1895.

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I UNITED STATES fPATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. SALLADA, on PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRIC BLOCK-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 531,651, dated January1, 1895.

Application filed April 9 1894- Serial No. 506,963. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES H. SALLADA, a citizen of the United 'States,residing at 'Pittsburg,in the countyof Alleghenyand State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inElectric Block- Signals; and I do hereby declare the followin g to beafull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part ofthis specification.

My invention relates to an improved elec! tric block signal forrailways, and it consists in an apparatus arrangedalong the line oftrack, capable of sounding an alarm in the locomotive cab, together withcertain details of construction and combination of parts as will befully'described hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic View of asingle track railway showing the apparatus and circuits both on thelocomotive, and at each block along the track. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation of the track instrument for making and breaking the circuits.Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same. Fig. i is a plan view of a turnout orrailway switch, showing the manner of connecting the same with myimproved block signal.

To put my invention intopracticewith a railway, I divide the same intoblocks A' 13-0, 850., the one insulated from the other, and provide eachof said blocks with a track battery 2. 'This battery 2 is connected'bywires 3 and 4: to .both railway rails 1 and is used for operating thetrack instrument to make and break the circuit as will be hereinafterdescribed. Each block or section of the track is provided with fourshort contact rails 5-'6-7 and 8, two of which are arranged at the oneside of the track and the others onv the opposite side. These shortrails are located close to the track and parallel thereto, andconstructed of a suitable conducting material, and project slightlyabove the general level of the said track rails 1. In connection witheach block or section is an instrument such as shown at Figs. 2 and 3 onthe drawings, which is adapted to make and break .the circuits while thebrushes are in contact with the short contact rails. These track instru--next adjoining block to the right.

\ the short-rail contact 6. V I the several track-instruments are thesame in ments consist of a set of magnets secured in a horizontalposition, adapted to operate a vertically arranged armature 11 for thepurpose of making two contacts and thereby complete two separatecircuits, These contacts 11' are attached to the armatures 11 and arebrought against stationary contacts 14: 14', attached to the frame andprojecting over the magnets. Suitable springs 12 attached to posts 13and to the armatures 11, serve to withdraw the said armatures when thecurrent is broken atanother point.

The magnets 10 ofthe track-instrument, say the middle one shown in Fig.1, are connected bywires 16 and 17 with the rails of section B and arenormally energized by the battery 2, connected with'the rails at theopposite end of the section B.

The contact-strip 14 has a ground connection 18 through local battery15, and the moving contact at the opposite end of said strip isconnected by a spring '12 to the post 13 which is connected by wire 19with the con tact-strip 14. of the track-instrument of the The post 13is also connected by a wire 19 with short rail-contact 5. Thecontact-strip 14: is con- 'nected with the strip to the left as has justbeen described .in connection with the strip 14 of the intermediateinstrument, and corresponding movable contact 11' is connected throughspring12,'post 13andwire 20 with The connections of all respects.

The two rails 7 and 8 on the opposite side of the track to the trackinstrument are each connected by wires 9 to the railway rails nearestthe same. I

Arranged within the locomotive cab or other suitable point, either onthe'engine or train, is a battery 21 used for ringing an alarm bell 22and operating an instrument to complete certain circuits. Thisinstrument consists of two sets of magnets 2630, each provided with pivoted armatures -27 one 25 of which is provided with an insulated hook29 adapted to engage with the other armature 27 when the same has beenattracted toward its magnets, and hold the said armature in contact withits magnets 26 after the circuit has been broken. The upper magnet 30 isused for the purpose of lifting the armature 25 and hook 29 from thearmature 27, thereby allowing the same to fall back by gravity andthereby break the bell circuit. This bell circuit commences at thebattery 21, thence by wire 28 to armat-ures 27 and 25, thence by wire 24to and through the bell 22, thence by wire 23 back to the battery 21.

To operate the magnets 26 and thereby draw the armature toward the sameto complete the above described circuit, the current commences at thebattery 21, thence by wire 36 to and through the magnets 26, thencethrough wire 37 to a depending brush 38 attached in a suitable positionon the engine in order that the same will be brought in contact with theshort rails 7 and 8 while the train is moving over the same. From thisbrush 38 the circuit is extended to the short rail 8 and from thencethrough wire 9 to the railway rail 1, thence through the car wheel 35 toa wire 34 attached to its bearing leading back to the battery 21.

To release the hook 29 and break the contact of the two armatures 27-25in blockO a circuit is commenced from the battery 15 of block B throughcontact strip 14, contact 11', spring 12, post 13 to wire 19, to andthrough contact strip 14' to contact 11', spring 12, post13 to wire 20,and thence to short rail 6 of block 0. When by the movement of the trainthe brush 33 similar to that before described is brought in contact withthe rail 6 the circuit is continued from said brush 33 through wire 32to and through magnets 30 to wire 31, to wire 34, to bearing of the axle35 through wheels of the same, to ground and back to the battery 15.When this last described circuithas been completed the armature 25 isattracted to the magnets and the hook 29 released, which permits thearmature 27 to fall and break the circuit.

The short rails 5 and 7 are duplicates of those at the rear, and willmake and break the circuits with the brushes 33 and 38 in the samemanner as previously described when referring to the contact rails 6 and8. The i first rails 6 and 8 are used to give notice to the engineerwhether the next block ahead is occupied, and the two rails 5 and 7 togive notice. for the first block ahead it occupied. For example atrainis moving in block G and another in A the bell 22 will commence ringingas soon as the brush 38 comes in contact with the rail 8 of block 0, andwill continue to ring until the brush 33 is in contact with the rail 6of the same block. If the bell still continues to ring after passingsaid rail 6, the engineer will know that there is a train in block A asthe track rails 1 of block A, will short circuit the track instrument ofblock B, Y

and break the contact between the strip 14 and its contact 11 thusbreaking the contact with rail 6 of block 0 and prevent the magnets 30releasing the armature 27. When the brush 33 is in contact with rail 5and the block B ahead clear, the bell 22 will stop ringing,

as the circuit will be-completcd to the magnets 30 to break the bellcircuit. If the bell continues to ring after passing the said rail 5 ofblock 0, he will know that something is Wrong in block 13, such as anopen switch,or a side-tracked car left too close to the main track. If,for further example, there are two trains, the one in block 0 and theother in 13, the engineer will get warning while the brush 33 is incontact with rail 5, as the bell 22 will continue to ring as the circuitto the magnets 30 will be broken at the contacts 11 and 14 of the trackinstrument of block B. The engineer will then stop his train until thebell 22 stops ringing, which will be when the train ahead has passed outof block B into block A.

By means of this block signal, the engineer will have notice of anytrain within two blocks ahead, and if the switches are left open thebell 22 will give warning by continuous ringing after passing thecontact rails 5 or 6 of any of the blocks.

At Fig. 4 on the drawings I have shown a switch or turn out providedwith my improved signal by means of which the trains will be protectedand given notice should the said switch be opened or a car accidentallyleft pas tthe danger post. To accomplish this the switch lever 40 isprovided with two contacts 44 which are made when the switch is properlyclosed, but are disconnected when the said switch is open. These twocontacts 44 are connected by wires 41-42 to one of the rails of the maintrack 1, with insulation be tween the points of attachment. The samerail 1 of the main track is connected by a wire 43 to one of the switchrails, and the said rail insulated from the main track.

Should the switch be properly closed the current will pass from the maintrack rail 1 through wire 42, contacts 44, back to the main track rail 1without interference, but should the said switch be opened the contacts44 are separated and the circuit broken, and the en gineer will know bythe constant ringing of the bell that there is danger at the switch.

If one of the cars on the siding or switch should be accidentally lefttoo near the main 5 track the current will be short circuited throughthe wire 43 and the axleof the said 1 car, and the mechanismhereinbefore dei scribed and give warning of danger.

It is. obvious that this electrical block sysltem may be used on a.single track railway, by arranging a device or apparatus in the cab ofthe engine to make contacts at the lproper time with the several contactrails along the track, when the train is moving in tan oppositedirection, or the engine running backward.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patcut, is-- 1. In a railway cab signaling system, a seriesof insulated track rail sections, contacts along the line of wayconnected to one line of rail of each section,atrack instrument for ablecontact to a second local contact along 7 the line of way, incombination with a movable object provided with contact brushes,

and a signal device on said movable object connected with said brushes.

2. In a railway cab signaling system, a series of insulated track railsections, a series of sets of contacts along the line of way connectedvto the track section, a second series of sets of contacts along the lineof way, a series of electrically connected track instruments each beingconnected with a set of the said second series of contacts, incombination with a movable vehicle provided with brush contacts, asignal circuit on the vehicle including two inter-locking armatures, andnor- .mally de-energized magnets therefor connected with the brushes.

3. In a railway cab signaling system, a series of insulated track railsections, one line of rails of each section being connected with theground and with brush contacts along the ,line of way, a series ofinter-connected track devices comprising other brush contacts andoperating batteries, in combination with a cab signal circuit,inter-locking circuit closing armatures included in said circuit,normallyde-energized magnets,'and brushes on the cab connected with saidmagnets and adapted to engage thecontacts along the line of way. i

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I hereunto affix my signaturethis 13th day of March, A. D. 1894.

CHARLES H. SALLADA. [L. s.] In presence of J AS. J. MOAFEE, ALBERT J.WALKER.

